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Friday morning weather forecast
Atlanta could tie a fourth heat record today before a strong cold front arrives tonight. Expect increasing winds gusting 25 to 30 mph, an isolated evening shower, and a sharp drop into a brisk fall weekend with highs below 68 degrees. Milder 80s return late next week.
ATLANTA - Atlanta is eyeing its fourth straight day of record-setting warmth Friday afternoon before a powerful cold front sweeps in tonight, ushering in gusty winds and a sharp weekend chill.
Friday record heat, tonight's wind shift
What we know:
Metro Atlanta will see a mix of clouds and sunshine Friday, with afternoon temperatures forecast to reach a record-tying 85 degrees. If temperatures hit the mark before the front arrives, Friday will mark the fourth consecutive day Atlanta has tied or broken a daily high-temperature record.
Breezes will pick up out of the northwest late this afternoon as the cold front pushes into North Georgia. A few isolated showers are possible early this evening during the frontal passage.
Winds will turn gusty overnight as colder air rushes in. Most areas across North Georgia can expect wind gusts between 30 and 35 mph, while mountain ridgetops face gusts topping 40 mph.
Wind concerns and weakened trees
Dig deeper:
Sustained gusts exceeding 40 mph at higher elevations pose a heightened threat of downed trees and limbs, particularly those already weakened from previous tropical systems like Isaias.
Overnight temperatures will tumble rapidly, dropping into the 40s and 50s across the region by early Saturday morning.
Weekend outlook: Brisk days, chilly nights
What's next:
Saturday will bring brisk conditions with morning cloud cover clearing out for a sunny second half of the day. High temperatures will run well below seasonal averages, staying capped in the 60s.
Sunday morning will start off even colder, with widespread lows in the 40s and near-freezing temperatures expected across the North Georgia mountains. Daytime highs will remain in the 60s through Monday.
Next week's warming trend
Quiet weather continues into next week as the chill begins to relax. Temperatures will rebound toward seasonal averages by mid-week before climbing back into the low 80s by late next week.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the FOX 5 Storm Team forecast.